Nat Tate

First published in 1998. The story of an artist who never existed, who lost his way, destroyed all his works and then jumped off the Staten Island Ferry, never to be found.

It’s an astonishing tale and a remarkable prediction of the world we now inhabit. Although, at the time it was written, the internet was in its infancy and social media was a phrase yet to be coined.

A monumental hoax and the book is full of steer and mis-direction, yet with subtle hints not all is as it may seem.

Thee are no spoilers, here. The back cover discloses the premise. A short read - about an hour, but worth every minute.

We’ve learned, to an extent, to separate out the bullshit these days. In 1998, less so. Boyd, may well yet look back on this one with a smug satisfaction and say: “Well, I did tell you”.

Superb